Ngati Porou and 2degrees Launch Community Development Fund

An Iwi based community fund with an emphasis on supporting digital technology initiatives, will be launched this Saturday in Gisborne.

The fund called Nati 2degrees Moni Whakapakari i te iwi Whanui will help assist Ngati Porou communities with increasing their accessibility to the internet, and developing the digital capabilities and skills of their people. The fund is an outcome of an innovative partnership between the East Coast tribe and mobile telecommunications company, 2degrees.

In August the partnership announced that 2degrees would provide all mobile voice and data services to a consortium of seven Ngati Porou organizations, made up of Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou, Ngati Porou Fisheries, Pakihiroa Farms, Ngati Porou Hauora, Ngati Porou Forests, East Coast Rugby Union and Radio Ngati Porou. In return the company would donate five percent of each organisations monthly spend back to the Iwi through a community fund.

With the fund recently established, individual Ngati Porou Iwi members will have the opportunity to contribute to the collective pool as well. By signing up to a 2degrees monthly contract, five percent of their mobile communication spend will also go towards benefiting the greater tribal community. At the 2006 Census count over 70,000 identified themselves as members of the Ngati Porou Iwi. To register for the scheme Iwi members, as well as others who support the initiative, must also be registered on the Ngati Porou Iwi database.

Allan Jensen, Chief Financial Officer for Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou says the purpose of Nati 2degrees reflects how the fund was originally generated and has broad application to Iwi members.

"We all use technology in our everyday lives, but this fund will provide further opportunities for Ngati Porou to connect, create and innovate. Projects could include computer literacy wananga, marae Wi-Fi connectivity, digital archiving of taonga, or ICT grants and scholarships."

He also believes the relationship with 2degrees is ground breaking, and could set a precedent for other tribes to follow.

"By leveraging off our combined commercial interests, we as a collective of Ngati Porou organisations have benefited from significant cost savings and an improvement in technology and services. If we take this concept one step further by leveraging off our combined commercial interests as Ngati Porou individuals, we as a collective Iwi also have the opportunity to benefit."

2degrees CEO Stewart Sherriff says the initiative is exciting as it blurs the line between commercial and community interests to deliver a unique set of benefits to all.

"Technology is rapidly changing and it's important people are brought along with it. We are proud to be involved in this trail-blazing initiative that will not only ensure Ngati Porou's future mobile technology needs are met, but the rich cultural fabric of its wider community is further enhanced by IT and learning new skills," he says.

"We also hope this initiative will inspire other organisations to look at how mobile can further benefit their wider community and it can become a blueprint for future relationships."